Mobile internet access booms in New Zealand

More than half of New Zealanders are now accessing the internet through their mobile phones, the government statistics agency announced Friday.

Total internet connections by mobile phone rose by 34 percent in the 12 months ending June to more than 2.5 million, according to Statistics New Zealand’s Internet Service Provider Survey, reported Xinhua.

“Smartphone use is rising quickly, and people are increasingly connecting to the internet using these devices wherever they go,” information and communication technology statistics manager Hamish Hill said in a statement.

“Using the internet to shop, look for places to visit, or even watch their favourite TV shows is becoming a part of everyday life for Kiwis.”

Internet service providers had increased their data caps, so there was more choice and flexibility when surfing the web on fixed broadband connections, he said.

The total number of subscribers with data caps of 50 gigabytes (GB) or more increased by almost 800 percent this year, while those with no data caps increased by more than 270 percent.

In June, the average subscriber used an estimated 16GB of data per month, compared with 9GB in June last year.